Inspection using a radiographic inspection apparatus such as an x-ray tomographic imaging apparatus (X-ray CT scanner) is performed in medical diagnosis, industrial inspection, and security fields. In general, the X-ray CT scanner includes an X-ray tube (X-ray source) which emits a fan-beam X-ray or a fan-shaped x-ray beam; an X-ray detector arranged facing the X-ray tube and having a large number of X-ray detection elements; and an image reconstruction apparatus which reconstructs an image based on data from the X-ray detector. An object is placed between the X-ray tube and the X-ray detector, and a tomographic plane thereof is imaged by fan-beam X-ray radiation.
The X-ray CT scanner emits a fan-beam X-ray and collects X-ray absorption data. The X-ray CT scanner repeats this processing by changing the radiation angle to the tomographic plane, for example, each by one degree. Then, the X-ray CT scanner analyzes the obtained data by a computer to calculate the X-ray absorption rate on the tomographic plane of the object and constructs an image of the tomographic plane according to the X-ray absorption rate.
As the X-ray detector of the X-ray CT scanner, there is used a solid scintillator which emits visible light by X-ray stimulation. The solid scintillator refers to a scintillator made of ceramic or single crystal.
It is preferable to use a solid scintillator as the X-ray detector of the X-ray CT scanner because the use of the solid scintillator as the X-ray detector can reduce the size of a detection element and thus can easily increase the number of channels for higher resolution.
As the solid scintillator used as a radiation detector such as the X-ray detector, conventionally there are known a single crystal such as cadmium tungstate (CdWO4), sodium iodide (NaI), and cesium iodide (CsI); europium-activated barium fluorochloride (BaFCl:Eu); terbium-activated lanthanum oxybromide (LaOBr:Tb); thallium-activated cesium iodide (CsI:Tl); calcium tungstate (CaWO4); cadmium tungstate (CdWO4); praseodymium-activated gadolinium oxysulfide (Gd2O2S:Pr) disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. S58-204088 (Patent document 1); and the like.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. S58-204088